[Cypress Point, Monterey]

Rooted above the rocky Monterey coastline, this elegant cypress tree clings to the edge of the cliff as decaying windblown branches lie all around it. Carleton Watkins chose to photograph Cypress Point while the thick fog characteristic of the Monterey peninsula engulfed the coastline. By doing so, he obstructed the view of the Pacific Ocean's glassy surface and allowed the fog to blend seamlessly into the gray sky. When Watkins took this photograph, scientists were already aware that this cypress species, cuppressus macrocarpa, was disappearing from its native habitat.